NBA Scouting Reports, Atlantic Division (Part Five)August 18, 2009Overview: An elite post player who was one the game’s best before severe injuries caused him to miss 127 games in two seasons. Has average height for a power forward at 6-8 without shoes, but owns a mammoth 7-5 ½ inch wingspan which compensates and then some. Possesses great physical strength and is one of the smartest power forwards you’ll find in the NBA. Moved and jumped well for his size, but may not be the same specimen when he returns from his injuries. Will still have one thing going for him for sure –he uses his body as well as anyone by using leverage and some little tricks to be a bigger presence on both ends. Very tough, but has broken down physically in recent seasons. One of the best rebounders in the NBA. Developed into a very good shot blocker. Can score from the midrange. Has a very advanced post game. Pegged as an impact player during his days as a Duke Blue Devil. Won the Wooden Award and was named the National Player of the Year as a sophomore before declaring for the draft. Put up better numbers as a rookie than he did during his last collegiate season as a sophomore. Won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award in 2000. Two time NBA All-Star. Signed with the 76ers as a free agent. Didn’t really get much of a chance to mesh with his teammates before injuries sidelined him. Production, efficiency has fallen sharply over the past two seasons.

Offense: Gets most of his offense off of post ups, but is also a capable offensive rebounder, pick and pop man, and one-on-one player. Displays tremendous touch out to the free throw line. Quality catch and shoot player inside the arc. Possesses an especially effective turnaround jump shot when he has his back to the basket. Doesn’t let good defense change his stroke at all. Takes and makes a lot of contested midrange shots. Shows an effective hook shot when he goes away from his turnaround, allowing him to score over either shoulder. Knows how to use fakes to create openings. Very fundamentally sound down low. Incredibly effective in half court settings, which made him very attractive in free agency. Finishes at the rim effectively with both hands. Will dunk the ball when he can. Doesn’t get as many finishing opportunities as he used to. Has the strength to muscle his way inside, get and maintain position, and fight for offensive boards. Extremely good ball handler for his size. Can take his man off the dribble consistently due to his quickness advantage. Good passer out of double teams. Will turn the ball over strictly because of his usage, not his decision-making. Goes to the line at a decent clip and is a solid foul shooter. Will need some time to shake off the rust when he returns from his injury, but his skills will no doubt still be there. If his mobility isn’t what it once was, he’ll still be able to fall back on his solid catch and shoot game like he did after his first comeback last season.

Defense: Was one of the League’s most talented post defenders before he got hurt. Showed uncanny development as a shot blocker. Few players are as adept as he is at blocking shots one-on-one in the paint. Used to have the lateral quickness to surprise some offensive players on the weak side as well. Wouldn’t get pushed around by almost anyone on the block. Didn’t mind fighting for position and can bang on the inside without tiring. Displayed the footspeed to keep up with most post players when defending the high post. May be a completely different defender post-injury. Has all sorts of skills defensively, but his body may not let him use them as effectively as he once did. Boxes out on every play. Great rebounder. Can go out of his area to recover misses due to his anticipation and length. Great motor. Still a bit foul prone, but that’s largely due to his effort level. [Read Full Article]